Monday I published Part 1 of this series on the Islamic terrorist group ISIL. It’s important that you read that first before proceeding here, if you missed it. (To read ISIL Explained, Part 1 CLICK HERE.)
I believe that any military plan alone will fail, though it’s clear we have to hit these people hard and quickly and do whatever is necessary, in the air and on the ground; however, from an ideological and theological viewpoint, we can’t succeed without understanding some basic facts:
- ISIL may not represent the majority of Muslims worldwide, but they have cowed into silence many Islamic moderates. More reasonable voices of Islam are scared to speak out against ISIL atrocities. Even when they do, these Muslims almost always couch their condemnation in language that adds rejoinders excusing some violence as a legitimate response against alleged oppression of Arabs.
- Just as Hitler sent in storm troopers to soften resistance to The Third Reich army’s main attack, so it is that ISIL’s shock treatment may lead the way to a wider acceptance of Islam. Some might be inclined to believe that after ISIL’s evil, by comparison, Islam isn’t so bad is after all. This obscures mainstream Islamic oppression of woman and minorities and the lack of democratic freedom in places like Saudi Arabia.
- That some in the West don’t see the beheadings as utterly reprehensible might be expected. Why? A younger generation brainwashed on violent video games, slasher films, and demonic movies designed to instill fear and terror are less likely to see the barbarianism of ISIL in such stark terms. It’s not all that different from what they are accustomed to seeing on-screen every weekend.
- Why are so many western youth willing to flee to Syria, many of them young girls off to find a ISIL husband? Having been desensitized and pampered by western ways, the appeal of ISIL is a bit romantic, adventurous, an extreme departure from their lives of texting and mall crawling.
- Islam is waiting for their final Madhi to establish a Muslim kingdom on earth. ISIL believes it is ushering in that age by retaking what was lost to the “crusaders.” In biblical eschatology the Mahdi is clearly an Anti-Christ type being. Any assessment of ISILS practices and purposes must take this into account. ISIL is out to establish a worldwide Islamic empire, enforced by whatever cruelty is necessary.
ISIL as a scourge of the Middle East and a terrorist threat to the West must be countered both militarily and theologically. Their warped, apocalyptic view runs counter to the peaceful reign of Christ where the wolf will lay down with the lamb (Isaiah 65) and there shall be no more war.
An encouraging word: ARE YOU FED UP?
Do you ever get tired or fed up with your job or your daily tasks? I think we all do from time to time. Here is a Word of encouragement from Galatians 6:9. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The definition for “weary” in the original Greek means to “fail in heart” or want to quit or give up. “Well doing” means anything you do that has value. That could be from sweeping floors to working as a doctor. Everything we do for someone else’s good has value. “Due season” means that there is an appointed time for you personally to reap a harvest, guaranteed! There is only one way to miss out on your own personal harvest and that’s to “faint” or literally to “relax” or ease up on your well doing. Don’t quit. Press even harder for that goal. You will be so happy that you did! You have His Word on it!
Bob Larson has trained healing and deliverance teams all over the world to set the captives free and Do What Jesus Did (Luke 4:18). You can partner with Bob and support this vision to demonstrate God’s power in action by calling 303-980-1511 or clicking here to donate online.
